Pleasure-seeking or merrymaking device.



PATENTED SEPT. 29', 190s'.

J. E. VoEI-s. PLEASURE SEEKINE 0E MEEEYMAKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION IILEDYDBG. 3,1902.

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Ifllnnlllll ...IllllL-Ial PATENTBD SEPT. 29, 1903.

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PLEASURE SEEKING 0R MBRRMAKING DEVICE.

APPLICATA! N FILED DEG. 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z N0 MODEL.

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I" AL PATENTE/SEPT. 29, 190s..

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No MODEL.

WITNESSES:

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Patented September 29, 1903.-

'PATENT OFFICE.

lTAMIS P. VORIS, OF ASTORIA, NEW YORK.

PLEASURE-SEEKING OR MERRYMAKING DEVICE.

SYECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 740,206, dated September29, 1903.

Application tiled leceniber 3, 1902. Serial No. 133,655. (No model.)

To LZ-Z whom) it may concer-n:

Be it known that I, JAMES P. VoRIs, acitizen of the United States,residing at Astoria, Long Island, in, the county of Queens and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pleasure-Seeking or Merrymaking Devices; land Ido hereby declare the followingto' be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

lsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and-to numerals ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The present invention novel arrangement and construction ofpleasure-seeking or merrymaking device in the form ofa marinemerry-go-round, comprising a tank containing water in representation ofa lake, a railway-track on which run a series of trucks provided withbodies in the form of boats or other floating objects, the said trucksand the bodies supported thereon being propelled or drawn through theWater by means of a motor car or cars.

The invention has for its principal objects to provide a novelpleasure-seeking or nierrymaking device of the character hereinaftermore particularly set forth; and this invention has for its furtherobject to provide a novel marine merry-go-round in whichv the floats orboats adapted to carry passengers are safely supported uponrailwaytrucks, and although the oats or boats to,

all appearances are floating upon the surface of the water there is nopossible danger of upsetting and throwing the passengers in to thewater. Y

Other objects of the present invention willv be clearly evident from thefollowing detailed description of my invention. Y

W'ith the various objects ofthis inventio l in view the inventionconsists, primarily, in;

scribed in the following specification and has reference to af thennally embodied in the clauses of the claim which form a part of and areappended to thel present specification. Y The invention is clearlyillustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a planView of a pleasure-seek- -ing or inerrymaking device embodying theprinciples of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalV section taken centrallyAthrough the said device, the said section being made on an enlargedscale. Fig. -1 is a detail view of a portion of a platform and a numberof gang-planks pivotally connected With saidplatform, the said viewillustrating i in connection therewith one form of mechanism for raisingand lowering at one andthe saine time anuinber of the said gang-planks.Fig. 5 is a detail transverse vertical section of a portion of the saidplatform and an end Y ,of one of the trucks and the body supported onsaidtruck. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section of one formelmotor-car ememployed with the present invention, and Fig. 9 is atransverse vertical sect-ion of the said motor-car.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the saidhereinabove-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In the said drawings the reference character l indicates the completepleasure-seeking vor merrymaking device, the same comprising a platform2, preferably circular in configuration', as herein shown, the saidplatform 'surrounding an artificial lake 3 and being provided with aninner 'railing 4 and an outer railing 5, both railings being of anydesired construction and of any desirable heights. The said device 1 maybe provided with a suitably-constructed ticket-selling station 6, and inthe railing 5 there may be an entrance 7 and an exit 8. At suitableintervals the in- Fig. l0 is a detail view of A one end of a linkconnection between two cars.

IDO

ner railing 4 is provided with openings, as 9, side rails 10 extendingfrom the railing 4 directly above the surface of the water, said rails10 being connected with vertical posts 11, as illustrated moreparticularly in Figs. 5

and 6, and each pair of posts 11 being connected by means of asupporting rail or rod 12. Pivotally connected with theinner edge of theplatform 2 by means of suitable hinges 13 or any other known pivotalconnection and at each opening 9 is a suitably-constructed gang-plank14.v When the said gang-planks are lowered in the manner indicatedinFigs. 5 and 6, then each gang-plank rests directly upon theproperly-placed supporting rail or rod 12, as illustrated. Suitableposts 15 and 16 may also be provided, these post-s carrying a roof orother covering 17. In order that all the gang-planks 14 may be raised atthe same time to cause them to stand in their vertical positions,whereby the openings 9 in the inner railing 4 are closed, ortosimultaneously lower all the gang-planks, each gang-plank may beprovided with an eye 18 and a flexible connection 19, which passes oversuitablyarranged grooved wheels 20, 21, and 22, suitably secured to theframework of the roof 17 and around a windlass 23, substantially asillustrated in Fig. 4. Thus by producing an unwinding action of saidwindlass all of the said gang-planks or any number of them, according tothe number of windlasses employed, can be lowered, and by operating thewindlass or windlasses in the opposite manner the gang-planks can beraised, as will be clearly evident. Of course it will be linderstoodthat the system of grooved wheels and flexible connections illustratedin said Fig. 4 is merely one arrangement of mechanism for operating thegang-planks, and any other system and arrangement of such devices orother mechanism may be employed which will serve the same purpose.Referring now to Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, it will beclearly seenthat the lake 3 is formed by means o f a concrete or othersuitably-constructed foundation 24, having an outer raised portion 25,on which the platform 2 is placed, and being preferably provided with acentrally-disposed raised portion 26. The cross-section of the saidfoundation 24 is preferably that represented in Fig. 3 of the drawings,and the depression formed is very shallow, so that the water .will notbe very deep, thereby avoiding against any possible accident fromdrowning; but the said depression may be of suitable cross-section, aswill be clearly evident. The depression in the said foundation 24 isfilled with the water which forms the lake 3 from a suitable supply-pipe27, having a shut-off valve 28,-and 29 is a waste-pipe, which isprovided with a shutod 30 for drawing off the water when necessary. Anoverliow 31, connected with the said waste-pipe 29, maintains a constantlevel of the water. The centrally-arranged raised portion 26 maybeprovided with -a pavilion the surface of the water.

32 and an organ 33, and a water-pipe 34 may lead to the roof of thepavilion. to provide a fountain, as illustrated in said Fig. 3, all ofYwhich greatly enhances the beauty of the device and adds to the pleasureof the passengers in the cars. Within said depression of the foundation24 and at any desired distance from the inner marginal edgel of theraised portion 25 and the platform 2 thereon are railway-rails 35 and anintermediately-placed toothed rail 36, `substantially as illustrated.Suitably-constructed trucks or cars 37 are placed upon these rails 35,each truck being provided with a suitably-constructedA and ornamentalbody 38 in the formof a boat or other shape provided with seats 39. Thesaid trucks 37 are coupled together by means of links 40, as indicatedin the dotted `outline in Fig. 1, each link having an eye portion 40',by means of which it is pivotally connected with a pin or bolt 40" tothe bottom of each car-body, as more particularly illustrated'in Figs. 8and 1() of the drawings. One of the said trucks 37, as will be seen froman inspection of Figs. 8 and 9, is provided with a body 41, having anopening 42 and a surrounding boxlike device 43, in which is rotativelyarranged a gearv 44. This gear 44 extends down through the said opening42 in said body 41, and its gear-teeth are in mesh with the teeth of thesaid rail 36, as shown. A prirnemover 45, provided with a pinion 46, inmesh with the said gear 44, is placed in said body 41 for causing arotary movement of said gear 44 and by this means the propulsion of allthe trucks or cars 37 upon the rails 35, whereby all the bodies 38 andthe body 41 have the appearance of doats riding upon The prime mover inthe present case is an electric motor; but any other motive power may beused, if desired. When an electric motor is to be used,

vas in the present instance, then a pair of .a second pole 5l and atrolley52 into the other conductor 48, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8of the drawings. I

From an inspection of Fig. 1 it will be seen that the number of trucksand their bodies, whether for passengers or for one or more motor-cars,correspond to the n umher of openings 9 in the inner railing 4 and themovement of the motor-car in stopping can be easily controlled, so thatwhen the trucks and their bodies are not in motion each truck and itsbody will remain directly in front of an opening 9. The gang-planks thenbeing lowered in the manner hereinabove set forth passengers can safelypass into or from the said ioat-like bodies, as will be understood. Whenthe gang-planks have been raised and the trucks and their bodies havebeen set in IOO motion, then all the openings 9 in the railing 4 areclosed to prevent accidents by falling from the platform 2 into thewater, and the 4cars beingasucient distance from the posts simple andeffective contrivance for provid` ing pleasure to both old and young,and each body which is adapted to carry passengers being securelyconnected with its truck or car there will be no danger of upsetting thepassengers into the Water, and to all intents and purposes the pleasuresof sailing or floating upon the Water are obtained. The `cars may bevariously ornamented and decorated and may be variously formed torepresent diderent classesof boats or other objects.

I am fully aware that many changes may be made in the generalarrangement of the devices and `in the combinations of their parts, asWell as in the details of the coustruction thereof, Without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. Hence I do not limit myinvention tothe exact arrangements of the devices and the combinationsof the parts as described in the foregoing rspecification and asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, nor do I confinel myself tothe exact details of the construction of any of the said parts. Havingthus described my invention, what I claim is i 1. In a pleasure-seekingand merrymaking device, a foundation adapted to contain Watertorepresent a lake, a platform surrounding the said lake, a railing onsaid platform provided With openings, a gang-plank at each openingconnected with the platformso that said openings Ain the railing may beopened andclosed, railway-rails beneath the Water,

trucks on said railsand a float-like body on each truck having theappearance of oating upon the surface ofthe water, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

2. In a pleasure-seeking and merry-making device, a foundationadapted tocontain Water to represent a lake, a platform surrounding the said lake,a railing on said platform provided with openings, a gang-plank at eachf opening connected with the platform so ,that said openings in therailing may be opened and closed, railwaywails beneaththe Water, truckson said rails, a float-likebody on each truck having the appearance offloating upon the surface of the Water, a link connection between thesaid trucks and their bodies, and a motor-car for propelling saidtrucks, substantially as and for the purposes'set forth.

3. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, a foundation adapted tocontain Water to represent a lake, aplatform surrounding the said lake,a railing on said platform provided with openings, aV gan g-plank ateach .opening connected with the 'platform so that said openings in therailing may be opened and closed, railway-rails beneath the water, and amotor-car running on said rails, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

1.1.. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, a foundation adaptedto contain water to represent a lake, a platform surrounding the saidlake, a railingon said platform provided with openings, a gang-plank ateach opening connected with the platform so that said openings in therailing may be opened and closed, railway-rails beneath the Water, amotor-car running on said rails, and other cars on said rails, all drawnby the said motor-car, said cars being provided with floatlike bodieshaving the appearance of oating upon the surface of the Water,substantially as and` for the purposes set forth. 5. In apleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, a foundation adapted to containWater to represent a lake, a platform surround.

Ving the said lake, a railing on said platform .provided with openings,a gang-plank at each tween said` other rails, a motor-car runningV onsaid rails, a motor in said car, and ay gear-y Wheel in said car drivenfrom said motor, said -ter torepresent a lake, a platform surroundingthe said lake, a railing Von said platform provided With openings, agang-plank at each and closed, railwaywails beneath the Water,

an intermediately-placed toothed rail between said other rails, amotor-car running on said rails, a motor in said car, and a gear-Wheelin said car driven from said motor, said gearwheel being in mesh withthe teeth of said' toothed'rail, and other cars running on said rails,said cars being provided with float-like bodies having the appearanceoflioating upon IOC device, a foundation adapted to contain Wa- .Openingconnected with the platform so that said openingsin the railing may beopened IIO the surface of the Water, substantially as and Y for thepurposes set forth.

7 In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, afoundation adapted tocontain wa.

ter to represent a lake, a platform surroundl i ing the said lake, arailing on said platform Y.

provided with openings, a gang-plank at each opening pivotally connectedwith said platform, means for simultaneously raising and lowering all ofthe said gang-planks to simul' taneously close and open all the openingsin said railing, railway-rails beneath the Water, trucks on said rails,and a iioat-like body on -each truck having the appearance of floating-uponthe surface of the Watensubstantially Aas and for the purposes setforth,v

8. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device,afoundation adapted tocontain water to represent a lake, a platform surrounding the said lake,a railing on said platform provided with openings, a gang-plank at eachopening pivotally connected with said platform, means for simultaneouslyraising and lowering all of the said gang-planks to simultaneously closeand open all the openings in said railing, railway-rails beneath thewater, trucks on said rails, a iioat-like body on each truck having theappearance of oating upon the surface of the water, a link connectionbetween the said trucks and their bodies, and a motor-car for propellingsaid trucks and their bodies, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

9. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, afoundation adapted tocontain water to represent a lake, a platform surrounding the said lake,a railing on said platform provided with openings, a gang-plank at eachopening pivotally connected with said platform, means for simultaneouslyraising and lowering all of the said gang-planks to sim ultaneouslyclose and open all the openings in said railing, railway-rails beneaththe water, and a motor-car running on said rails, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

l0. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, a foundation adaptedto contain water to represent a lake, a platform surrounding the saidlake, a railing on said platform provided with openings, a gang-plank ateach opening pivotally connected with said platform, means forsimultaneously raising and lowering all of the said gang-planks tosimultaneously close and open all the openings in said railing,railway-rails beneath the water, a motor-car running on said rails, andother cars on said rails, all drawn by the said Y motor-car, said oarsbeing provided with iioatter, and an intermediately-placed toothed rail.

between said other rails, a motor-car running on said rails,a motor insaid car, and a gearwheel in said car driven from said motor, saidgear-wheel being in mesh with the teeth of said toothed rail,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

12. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymak-- ing device, a foundationadapted to contain water to represent a lake, a platform surrounding thesaid lake, a railing on said platform provided with openings, agang-plank at each opening pivotally connected with said platform, meansfor simultaneously raising and lowering all the said gang-planks tosimultaneously close and open all the openings in said railing,railway-rails beneath the water, an intermediately placed toothed raillbetween said other rails, a motor-car running on said rails, a motor insaid car, and a gearwheel in said car driven from said motor, saidgear-wheel being in mesh with the teeth of said toothed rail, and othercars running on said rails, said cars being provided with floatlikebodies having the appearance of oating upon the surface of the water,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

13. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, a foundation adaptedto contain water to represent a lake, a circular platform surroundingthe said lake, and a railing on said platform provided with aseries ofopenings, and a gang-plank at each opening and each gang-plank beingpivotally connected with the platform, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

14. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, a foundation adaptedto contain water to represent a lake, a circular platform surroundingthe said lake, a railing on said platform provided with a series ofopenings, a gang-plank at each opening and each gangplank beingpivotally connected with the platform, and means for simultaneouslyoperating all the said gang-planks at one time, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

15. In a pleasure-seeking and merrymaking device, a foundation adaptedto contain water to represent a lake, a circular platform surroundingthe said lake, a railing on said platform provided with a series ofopenings, side rails l0 at each opening, posts l1 with which said rails10 'are connected, a supporting-rail between said posts ll, and agangplank at each opening pivotally connected with the platform andadapted to rest upon said supporting-rail, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 29th day of November, 1902.

JAMES P. VORIS. Witnesses:

CHARLES G. DAVIS, JAMES KILLooH.

IOO

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